


When Fairies Fly with Birds

by Varnienne



Category: Fairy Tail, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Established Relationship, F/M, Romance, Sinbad is a Flirt, Slow Burn, dragon OC - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 09:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26849950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Varnienne/pseuds/Varnienne
Summary: They thought their peace would've lasted a bit longer. But they were Fairy Tail; trouble always finds them. A short year after the Alverez war, a giant hole consumes Fiore, taking everyone and everything with it. Now in a world vastly different from their own follow Nerida, Rose, and the rest of Fairy Tail as they set off on another adventure. Of course, it wouldn't an adventure without evil brewing in the shadows, wanting to destroy the world. Another war will be on their doorstep, but they're better prepared this time...aren't they?
Relationships: Bickslow (Fairy Tail)/Original Female Character(s), Sinbad (Magi)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. How it All Began (Prologue)

Morning sunlight shone brightly across the land. The forest trees waved their branches happily in the light breeze, leaves dancing joyfully. Birds chirped their morning songs as they fluttered above a bustling little town almost hidden by the trees if not for the train station. Sunlight glared off of the new windows and the shimmering ripples of the canal. The cobblestone pathways glinted softly, their surfaces recently smoothed by an onslaught of rain. Even the lampposts and their light lacrima were reconstructed and refilled with magic. 

The townspeople were just as happy as the nature around them, cheerfully greeting one another as they passed by neighbors or set up shop. Everyone was basking in the afterglow of rebirth that seemed to blanket their town.

Finally, after several months of hammering and cementing wood and brick, the war-struck town of Magnolia was finally whole again. The people were happy to be home to a wizard's guild. If not for them and their magic, the construction would've taken a few months longer. 

~oOo~

A bird flapped casually, slowing down to land in its nest. Its hatchlings chirped hungrily as it lowered its worm-filled beak to each one. It tweeted in response to them, happy it was able to provide another meal.

Their chirping reached the sensitive ears of a woman in her shared apartment. Her frizzy, aqua curls were wild and untamed from a night of constant turning. Caramel ears twitched a couple times, hearing the light sounds of morning outside her window. The woman frowned in her sleep as she slowly woke. Amethyst eyes slowly fluttered open as she shifted to sit up. Her white sheets slowly fell into her lap, revealing the plain purple tank top she’d worn to bed. Clawed fingers laced together and moved far above the woman’s head to stretch her arms. With a loud yawn, she tossed her covers aside and flung her caramel legs over the side, quickly rising to her feet. 

She trudged to the bathroom in the hallway, passing a picture of her and two other girls hanging in a black frame. On the far right, the woman was smiling brightly. She was wearing a sleeveless black top and a forest green cropped jacket. Her arm was wrapped around a smiling blonde with a high ponytail tied up with a red bow on her right side. The woman was wearing a plain blue croptop and holding up the badge hanging around her neck. Finally, on the far right, was a woman with soft pink hair in a low braid over her shoulder. She was wearing a light green tank top and had a small smile on her face. Her arm was reaching out toward the camera and was cut off on the right side of the image.

_ To think, _ the woman spit out toothpaste and rinsed her mouth,  _ that picture was over a year ago now. _ She let the water clean her toothbrush and reached for a washcloth to wash her face. Returning to her room, the woman grabbed her rose-patterned brush from the nightstand drawer and started brushing her hair. 

Her thoughts trailed back to the picture hanging in the hallway and she smiled. She and her sister had moved with the blonde to their nation’s capital of Crocus. Magnolia didn’t have anything left for them and the two women knew it was time for a change in scenery. Seeing as all their other friends were already going their separate ways, the sisters decided to go with Lucy. 

That picture was from the day she’d finally been hired by  _ Sorcerer Weekly  _ as an amateur reporter and writer. The three of them celebrated together and spent the night in Lucy’s apartment. It was more of going over what leads they had on the others and drinking a bit of wine in congratulations.

The bluenette sighed and set her brush down. She knew their presence helped Lucy through the sudden change, but it wasn’t until a certain dragon slayer and exceed appeared that she really brightened up again.

“Those three are really their own little family,” she chuckled to herself. 

Walking over her dresser, she looked through her outfits. For today, she decided on the same top from the picture with a dark blue skirt and a matching, silver-rimmed vest. Her black fingerless gloves matched the calf-high boots she pulled from her shoe rack. One last glance in the full-length mirror by her door and she walked out with a smile.

“Now to cook breakfast!” It was the only way her sister would wake up peacefully. Anything else and the poor bluenette would get smacked with her sister’s clock.

Quickly pulling out a pot and pan, the woman got to work making eggs and grits. She hummed away in the kitchen, smiling as she finished off the egg and put bacon on. While that and the grits cooked, the small dining table was set and tea was brewed. Finally returning to the stove, the mage stirred the grits one last time and distributed the bacon.

“Rose, c’mon!” Amethyst eyes glanced at the clock above the side window reading six twenty-three. They would be able to get to the guild pretty early today. “It’s time for breakfast!” 

As if summoned, a woman with long, rose pink hair frizzy from sleep and tired vermillion eyes trudged in. A pale hand reached up to lazily cover her yawn as she settled into one of the places at the table. She took a sip of the tea and cringed, reaching for the spoon and sugar in the middle of the table. Two scoops, a stir, and another sip. Rose smiled contently. 

A plate of eggs, bacon, and grits was placed in front of her and she thanked her sister. Rose waited for the bluenette to sit down before starting to eat. It was relatively silent, the two mages simply enjoying their food and company. When both plates were clean, they focused on their tea.

“Hey, Nerida?”

Amethyst eyes glanced up from her teacup. “What is it?”

Rose just stared at her tea for moment. Nerida frowned at the disquiet in her sister’s scent. But before she could ask, there was a surge of energy outside. 

It only lasted a minute before it disappeared. This was not the first time it happened. In fact, for the last several months, there were similar surges of power. They’d only grown more frequent over time. The last one was only the day before. To all in Fairy Tail, that power felt vaguely familiar but none had placed.

Until now.

“That’s what I was going to mention.” Nerida looked at her sister questioningly. “These… surges are dimensional rips.”

“What do you…” Another surge and the bluenette remembered where she’d felt it before. There was a hint of something else she couldn’t put her finger non, but it felt a lot like- “The Eclipse Gate.”

The sisters shared a determined look. Agreeing to head to the guild as soon as possible, Nerida cleaned the kitchen while her sister got dressed.

~oOo~

“I’m glad you shared this information with me. This is very concerning,” Makarov sighed. He had hoped that he and his children would finally be able to relax after the war. The eighth master sighed and held a hand to his head before glancing up at the two mages. “I will call a guild meeting and see what the others say. Maybe we can come up with a theory and figure this out.”

Nerida frowned. “Has the Magic Council not said anything about it, Master?”

“Unfortunately, no.” He picked up a couple documents and skimmed through them. “I’ve sent several letters about these energy surges with little reply. I even had Levy send them her input on the situation and request someone look into it. They haven’t found anything in the archives yet and the royal family is growing a bit restless.”

The bluenette nodded solemnly. After the Eclipse Gate incident, and then the Celestial Spirit world almost collapsing a few months later, she figured Hisui was worried this could be related as well. She silently hoped it wasn’t. The last thing their new queen needed was another incident related to Eclipse.

“Alright.” Rose sighed and turned toward the door. “Rida and I will wait in the lobby then.”

~oOo~

The guild members whispered amongst themselves as they waited in the main lobby. An anxious tension hung heavily in the air. Everyone was worried about the energy surge they felt early that morning. While it hadn’t felt malicious, it wasn’t positive either. 

Team Natsu and several others were the most worried. With every surge that occurred, the energy had felt more and more like the Eclipse Gate. Lucy and the dragonslayers could tell it was more than that, too. There were hints of magic similar to the Anima - the magic device that took them to Edolas. 

“Hey guys,” Rose greeted as she and her sister approached them. The two women looked just as worried as everyone else. No doubt the surge unsettled them. 

Team Natsu greeted them in return. Erza, straight to the point, asked, “Do you guys know what this is about?”

Nerida nodded, amethyst eyes glazed in memory of the incident possibly related. “Rose and I told Master that the energy surges felt a lot like the Eclipse gate, although…” she trailed off in thought. “It feels like there’s more to it.”

“Edolas.” Her gaze snapped to Natsu. He had a serious look on his face - something she still found foreign on the carfree fire mage. “It’s just like Edolas.”

The sisters looked at him wide-eyed. So, whatever the energy was, there was another world beyond it. That made the energy surges that much worse.

“Alright brats, listen up! I-” He was cut off by another surge of energy. 

This time, instead of dissipating after a minute, it converged above the city. Fairy Tail rushed outside and watched in horrified awe as a large, swirling hole grew in the sky. It grew and grew and grew, not stopping until it covered the entire town. Then the ground started shaking as the hole descended on Magnolia. 

Suddenly, everything in the guild was black before the wizards knew no more.

~oOo~

The townspeople screamed in fear at the giant hole above. Anyone and everyone who could try tried to run. Some made it out of the town before it was swallowed but most of them were stuck or just weren’t fast enough. And this time, Fairy Tail couldn’t help them.

Because their guildhall had disappeared first - along with everyone in it.


	2. The First Steps Forward

The mages all groaned in pain, each one slowly moving to sit up. Everything was more than a little hazy but some remembered what happened. Those that didn’t simply looked around in awe at their surroundings.

All around them were antique shelves of books. Entrances marked by pillars and tunnels seemed to spiral upward into the golden light shining softly above them. There was a gentle warmth in the air that made them feel safe. The mages started to walk around a bit, some of the more avid readers deciding to look at some of the books. They were quite surprised to see books in multiple languages - including their own. 

It was silent for a while, some of the mages whispering amongst one another as they explored, quickly discovering their town was not the only one taken by the hole in the sky. Mages from guilds all over the continent were there; Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, even Quatro Cerberus was there.

The sound of large doors creaking shut drew their attention behind them. They were quite surprised to see a giant, serene blue face smiling at them. It was being held up by many smaller white blobs that were barely humanoid. His dark blue hair parted just enough to show the hidden eye on his forehead. 

Seeing that he had most mages’ attention, the blue head finally spoke. “Hello, wizards of Earthland. My name is Ugo.” 

The eldest among them, a short, elderly man wheeled his chair forward, the sleeves of his jacket swaying slightly on the back of his chair with the movement. He was followed by a tall, red-haired woman with a powerful aura, making sure he didn't slip in his chair. The blue symbol on her left forearm matched the large yellow one sewn into the back of the man’s jacket.

“Hello there, Ugo-san.” He finally rolled to a stop at the bottom of the steps leading to the blue head. “My name is Makarov. Could you tell us, what's happened?”

The strange figure sighed. “It seems our worlds have been slowly merging for several years. However, a recent clash of magic supplied the final catalyst.”

Everyone's eyes widened at that. The first trigger was a mystery to all but Fairy Tail. Anyone who experienced the Anima knew almost exactly when it started. It was wild to think this magic started over nine years ago. Although, that explained a lot about why they sensed the Eclipse and with Lucy - part of the Infinity Clock. Those kinds of magic mixing together was extremely dangerous. It was a miracle they’d only transported Fiore to another world.

Wary at the possibility of a world without ethernano, the scarlet haired woman asked, “This isn’t Edolas, is it?”

Ugo frowned at the blonde’s question. “No. I’m not sure what you mean by Edolas, but this is a world of magi and dungeons.” he paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “You were all brought here for a reason though. There is a dangerous force from your world joining the darkness hiding in this one. It grows by the day and the people of this world are unprepared for it.”

The mages glanced around at one another and nodded, some a little more wary than others. After the Alvarez War and dragon attack a year ago, many of them were still quite shaken. Some of them hadn’t made it out and no one was left unscathed. What mattered though, was that they came out on top.

“We will do our best, then,” Makarov vowed.

Ugo smiled. And gestured to the doors beside him as they opened once more. The golden light above them quickly grew in intensity until no one could see anything. Once they were gone, the doors slammed shut, leaving a grateful Djinn head in their wake.

“I’m looking forward to the changes you all will make.”

~oOo~

When everyone woke up, they were each in their respective towns. The citizens around them were frightened but happy that the wizards had finally returned. So, with the knowledge of an oncoming threat - and a pleasant surprise of some of the books from that library - each guild got to work.

Any and all runic mages were tasked with learning the old languages and translating as best as they could. Other members traveled to surrounding villages and towns to spread the news and ease the non-magical citizens’ hysteria. Within three months, most of the texts had been translated, the knowledge spreading and quickly becoming public knowledge. 

All non-wizards were thankful for the mage guilds and magic council sending out information about what happened to their kingdom. Despite some of it going over their heads, it was nice to know they’d found out and were letting everyone know. They knew, without a doubt, things were irrevocably changed. And, if  _ Sorcerer Weekly’s _ recent interview with Jura from the New Magic Council was anything to go by, this world was their new home.

Guild masters from every legal guild gathered at the magic council regularly to share everything they had, coming up with plans to get more accustomed to this new world. And so, with the mutual agreement of the light guilds and the royal family, Fiore was remapped; many found through traveling that their kingdom was somehow reversed, a mirror image of itself. It had left many residents confused for a while.

Soon enough, scouting groups were sent out to learn about the surrounding nations, the royal family hoping to learn more about their neighbors. Many of the magic devices and tools Fiore was used to became more advanced as travelers brought back some of the goods they found. The kingdom quickly grew in power, gaining more travelers and settlers from other lands. 

Overall, the situation quickly turned into a great boost of health and economy. It wasn’t long before the letters their queen sent out to a few of the neighboring countries started asking for diplomats to visit and finalize the proposed alliances. 

With a formal request sent to the major wizard guilds for people to send out, Queen Hisui and those of Mercurius Castle prepared for their visitors.

~oOo~

A few days later, Makarov received the letter from Queen Hisui. Quickly reading through it, he saw the New Magic Council had already chosen who they wanted going where.

The last two years had been hectic. Cleaning and reconstructing everything that got damaged after the war with Alvarez left them busy for a while. Getting transported to another world less than a year later really threw everyone for a loop. Now that things were finally calming down, he’d hoped his family would be able to go back to taking normal jobs and not worrying about them more than usual. 

But now nine of his children were being called out into this strange new world. He almost groaned at the names listed and hoped everything would turn out alright. While he was glad they got to go on another adventure, his mind was still worried about the ominous message they’d been given. 

Whatever that force was, it was out there and could possibly harm them. This world was so vast; there was no telling what could happen. He sighed and rolled his chair back from the desk. As he rolled out of his office, the smell of alcohol and the sound of laughter brought a smile to his face. The guild master realized that the dangers they would soon face could never break the bonds his family had forged. He would try to have more faith in them.

“Alright brats, listen up!” Despite his frail appearance, the authority in his voice was unwavering. The guild lobby fell silent as everyone turned to give their attention to their guild master. “The New Magic Council and the Royal Family have appointed the wizards going in the diplomatic groups Fiore is sending out. Seeing as we are the largest guild in the country, we will have wizards in each of the three groups.

His warm gray eyes settled on the group gathered by the bar. “Erza, you, Lucy, and Rose will be part of the group headed to Artemyra. Because it is a country of matriarchs, this will be a team of female wizards only.”

Lucy, Erza, and Rose all nodded in acknowledgment. Some of the boys groaned and protested but a glare from the three girls immediately silenced them. The rest of the guild chuckled only to quiet down once more at the glares they received from the S-Class women around the room.

Makarov cleared his throat. “They are situated in the canyons west of Fiore so it’ll be windy. Gajeel, Levy, and Mira will leave for Heliohapt. It’s a desert nation so pack for strong heat.”

“Last but not least, Nerida, Laxus, and Wendy will be part of the group headed to Sindria. It’s a tropical nation so you all pack for heat as well.” The three of them nodded, Charle smiling at the excitement her partner struggled to hide at the prospect of a new adventure.

“I expect you to be on your best behavior. Our country’s future is relying on you all! You leave for Crocus tomorrow at noon. However,” Makarov paused to smirk at all of his precious children, warm stone eyes looking over the crowd, marveling at how many and how different they all were; that despite this, they were all a big, happy family. “Make sure they know that no matter what, Fairy Tail is always number one!”

The crowd cheered loudly in agreement as another round of drinks was called. Not long after, the typical argument from Natsu and Gray quickly escalated into a guild-wide brawl. Sitting at the bar, smirking at each other because of the ruckus behind them, the Lynwood sisters clinked their milkshakes together. Tonight was their last time together in a while and they were going to make it count!

~oOo~

Nerida groaned at the sunlight shining in her eyes. Her bright amethysts fluttered open as she stretched and yawned, shaking the sleep from her muscles. Blinking, the young mage faintly noticed the change in her appearance and panicked slightly. Dark, aqua scales spread across her torso, arms, and legs. They raced down her back into a long, pointed tail starting at the base of her spine. Large wings extended up to the top of her head and dipped toward her calves. Feeling her forehead made her sigh in relief. The extravagant, lavender pearl still sat in its resting place, surrounded by the swirling circlet of coral.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed her heartbeat and remembered the Grier* incident. Her guild members wouldn’t be startled by seeing her transformation magic down. But the other mages they were traveling with certainly would be. As would the Sindrian citizens.

She sighed and carefully stood up from her barstool. Glancing around and scenting the room, she could tell a few of their partners left during the night or early that morning.  _ At least some were smart. _ Deciding they needed to leave and pack, Nerida turned to wake her sister but then thought better of it. Instead, she hefted the strawberry head onto her back and silently made her way out of the guild.

As she walked to their apartment, the dragon allowed her thoughts to wander a bit. Things were changing drastically. Although it had happened a few times before, this was different. 

They were _permanently_ in another world. A world that worked a bit differently than their own. It had magic, but most of it - if not all - came from weapons. But this magic was stronger than what they experienced in Edolas, summoning great _genies_ to bestow power on the wielder and their household warriors. _So, more like Lucy's_ _Star Dresses_. 

The dragon took a deep breath, smiling at the ethernano in the air. But there was something else too. It seemed… holy? No, that wasn’t it. Maybe, lighter? No, not that either. Whatever it was, it was  _ different _ . Just expanding her magic aura a bit told her their magic wouldn’t work if not for the ether. 

A groan pulled her from her thoughts and the dragon shifted a bit. Her wings spread to keep sunlight out of her sister’s eyes as the strawberry head slowly woke up. 

Nerida smirked. “Rise and shine, Rosy-locks.”

“Morning?” 

Her sister chuckled under her. “Yup. It’s almost eight and we still need to pack for our trips.”

The earth mage groaned and tightened her grip on the scaled shoulders she felt. Her sleep clogged mind slowly proceeded what she was feeling before panic set in. Immediately awake, Rose hopped down from her sister's back and stared at her.

The sea dragon stopped and stared at her sister in confusion. “What's up?”

“Your transformation magic is down! Wait...” she trailed off in thought. Then realized everyone in Magnolia already knew what her adoptive sister was and accepted it. Rose sighed and rubbed her temples, grumbling, “I'm still tired.”

Nerida chuckled and grabbed the earth mage's hand. She turned and kept walking toward their apartment, tail swaying behind her. Many of the resident shopkeepers called out morning greetings as the Lynwood sisters passed. Not a single one seemed bothered by her scaly appearance and it brought a smile to the drakaina’s face.

When they finally made it back, the sea dragon gently pushed her older sister into her bedroom. “Now, find a suitcase and pack some clothes. Don’t forget a few essentials. We should have enough jewel for each of us to buy a couple outfits if you forget anything.”

“Alright!” The rosy haired mage opened her closet door and pulled her forest green suitcase down from the top shelf and popped it open on her bed. Turning to the clothes hanging under the second shelf, she placed determined hands on her hips. “Since we're going to a windy country, I'll need my blazer, a few sweatpants…”

On the other side of the apartment, the aqua-haired dragon recanted her transformation spell and started looking through her closet.  _ Since Sindria is a tropical country, I should pack the clothes I got from my last visit to Rijia.  _

Most of her bright tops were cropped, sleeves starting just under the dip of her collarbone. The neckline dropped just enough to leave her guild mark on display, the lavender bright against her skin. Pale tones of baggy pants had darker hued ties to secure them at her calves. She packed a few leather and fabric belts. Everything was rolled up and packed neatly into her suitcase. Several pairs of sandals and ankle boots were tucked into the zipper pocket. The last thing she packed were a few formal dresses for any events that happened after meeting the king. 

Zipping it up and locking it closed, amethyst eyes turned to pick out a new outfit for the day. She finally settled on a royal purple bodysuit that zipped in the front. The sleeves stopped just over her shoulder, letting the black swirled white cuffs cover her forearms. She left the zipper just under her bust to show off her white crop top. A pair of wide white belts crossed around her waist. The legs stopped halfway down her thigh, showing a bit of skin before her black calf-high, silver buckle boots covered her feet.

Braiding her hair loosely over her shoulder, the sea mage pulled her suitcase off of the bed. Nerida walked into the living room to see Rose putting her long pink hair into a high ponytail. The earth mage smiled. 

“Ready to go?”

Glancing at the clock, amethyst eyes widened in shock. It was already a quarter to noon! She didn't think packing would take that long. Chuckling, she responded, “I guess so.”

~oOo~

Nerida silently sneered at the sight of the train. After all these years, she was still a bit childish about her motion sickness. While ships had never been a problem - she was a  _ sea  _ dragon, after all - trains were always the worst for her.

She felt a light smack on the back of her forehead before the pinkette hugged her and walked toward the others. Pouting, the drakaina hung her head in defeat and trudged after her sister. 

“Alright, it's a five hour ride to Crocus, so we have a little while to rest a little more.” Lucy glanced over the four dragon mages in sympathy before returning her attention to their tickets. “We're in the fourth coach, two down from where we’re standing.”

Everyone nodded and quickly boarded the train. Wendy was seated next to Nerida, who was next Laxus. Rose, Lucy, Erza, and Mira were all in one set, leaving Gajeel, Levy, and Lily together in the last one. The seat partners were a bit odd, but overall, not uncomfortable. 

A few minutes after settling in, Nerida almost immediately turned a bit green. Rose was too far away and the drakaina was too stubborn to get up. Besides, there was no way she could walk well enough to get there.

Sighing, she decided to lean on Laxus and play it off as sleep, smiling to herself when she felt Wendy lean on her. However, she was a little surprised to feel the lightning mage shift and pull her closer, laying her head on his chest. She glanced up at his face, noting the green color in his own cheeks, and smiled up at him. Her amethyst eyes finally closed after a while.

~oOo~

When they finally got off the train, everyone was grateful. Being cooped up in the small train car left cricks in their necks and muscles stiff. A bit sore, the Fairy Tail mages gathered their luggage from the cargo car and made their way to the hotel they were supposed to meet at. Pushing the door open, the tinkle of a bell sounded, alerting the innkeeper of their arrival. The old woman smiled at the familiar faces and greeted them joyfully.

“Hello! You must be the group from Fairy Tail.” She pulled out her reservation book and put her glasses on. Her aged eyes danced over the page until she found their names. “Here we are. You all will be on the second floor, all the way down the hall.”

The innkeeper reached below the counter for the key drawer and gave them four sets of keys. “The others have already checked in so they'll be out shortly.”

Erza nodded toward the woman. “Thank you.” The redhead turned and gave three of the keys to Gajeel, Rose, and Laxus. “I believe it would be best to split in two and three. Laxus, that will give you a room to yourself.”

The lightning mage smirked. “That's fine with me.”

All the girls nodded in agreement, Gajeel smirking as he pulled Levy a little closer. Erza smiled slightly. 

“Alright. Let's put our things away and meet back here in half an hour.”

~oOo~

The room itself was quite nice. The walls were a pale green with accents of darker greens and yellow splashed onto the curtains and bed sheets. A smaller room connected to the main one, leading to the two beds and a lacrima vision. One was by the window and the other closer to them. Opening the door next to the closet, they found the bathroom. There were three sets of towels on the counter by the sink. The tub was a little smaller than the one in the Lynwoods’ apartment. Pale yellow shower curtains hung in front of the tub. 

Small but workable.

Nerida, Rose, Wendy, and Charle were able to put their things away quickly and decide who got what bed. The Lynwood sisters let Wendy have the bed by the window and took the one closer to the door. Finally, when everything was how they wanted it, they freshened up and left for the lobby. 

~oOo~

Nerida sighed as she let Wendy lean on her. The carriage they were in hit a particularly rough bump and the poor girl had to lean out the window for fresh air. The drakaina rubbed her back in sympathy as Charle spoke soothing words to the girl.

They were currently being transported to Mercurius. Quen Hisui wanted to brief them on the details of their trips over dinner. It was also a show of gratitude for the guilds helping everyone readjust. They were told to dress up and prepare before the carriages arrived. Thankfully, everyone had thought to bring formal clothes with them to Crocus. 

The drakaina was wearing one of her favorite dresses. A sleeveless, pale blue gathered form-fitting dress that cut open mid-thigh, the ruffling fishtail train shorter than the flowing white underskirt. The navy shawl on her shoulders was long-sleeved, the same fabric flowing around her wrists. The golden wristbands matched the braided belt around her torso pronouncing her breasts. Short, golden stick heels adorned her feet, slightly hidden by the skirt of her dress.

Her wild aqua curls were relaxed and tamed into a small bun, golden hair sticks poking out with lotus-shaped pearls dangling from the ends. The rest of her hair fell in elegant waves that ended at the middle of her back. Dark red painted her lips with an accented light pink on her eyelids. Pearl earrings matched the necklace around her neck. There was just enough space for her lavender guild mark to show, the Fairy Tail symbol resting above her cleavage.

Wendy had a pale green sleeveless dress that started at her neck. The sheer fabric between her neck and breasts displayed her beautiful pale skin and collarbone. It was form fitting around her slim torso and waist, gently fanning out into a layered skirt down to her calves. She wore black kitten heels to complete her outfit. 

Her hair was thoroughly brushed out and left to drape over her shoulders. Light pink glistened on her lips and eyelids. She smiled at Nerida and thanked her for helping with makeup. The sixteen-year-old was still getting used to 

Charle had a similar design. However, her pale pink dress had two thin straps on either shoulder, baring the rest of her neck and shoulders. She had a matching shawl; it had a solid collar, sheer and draping down over her shoulders to her forearm. Charle also had black kitten heels to match.

Laxus was wearing a purple dress shirt with a black tie. He had black slacks and dress shoes along with his signature coat. The scowl on his face a clear indication of his dislike of formal occasions. The ride to the palace was mercifully short and soon, the Fairy Tail mages were being led to the dining hall. 

It was an elegant white room, a trio of golden chandeliers hanging over the long mahogany table. The lacy white tablecloth was lined by twenty-four red placemats. Red cushioned chairs greeted them as they found places to sit. The other guilds slowly filled in after that, lighthearted greetings and small talk starting until the queen and her father arrived with the chief of the royal guard.

“Her Highness, Queen Hisui Fiore and her father King Toma Fiore being escorted by Chief Knight Arcadios.” 

All the mages stood and turned toward them. The father and daughter smiled at their guests. They waved for everyone to sit down and exchanged a few pleasantries until the food arrived. The meal went over uneventfully, mages sharing stories of their missions and teasing others about their slip-ups. Overall, it was a nice time.

Finally, Arcadios cleared his throat. “Well, now that you all are here, I believe it’s time you found out who is going where.”

“Thank you, Arcadios,” the queen nodded. She gestured for the maids at the ends of the room to come forward. Each held envelopes with a mage’s name on it. “Inside them are your roles in each group. You all will be leaving tomorrow morning with merchant groups as your guides.”

“That’s why you have some of us as muscle?” The queen nodded at the shadow dragonslayer’s question. “What about those of us who are traveling in carriages or on ships?”

Hibiki Lates spoke up from a little further down the table. “Miss Anna has helped Blue Pegasus build devices for that.” He summoned his archive magic to show them a hologram of a lacrima encased in some kind of cube. It had a symbol of a dragon engraved on the top of it. “It’s portable so all we have to do is take one with us and activate it on the vehicle.” 

“We have twelve with us,” Eve mentioned. “They’re back in our hotel room.”

There was a collective sigh of relief from some of the dragonslayers at that. They were grateful that their motion sickness wouldn’t burden them on their trip. Especially those who’d be on ships at some point.

“Your Highness, do you think there will be space for us to train,” the drakaina asked. She glanced around at her fellow mages before turning back to the emerald-haired woman. “I know that some of us will be unable to sit still for too long. Besides, it would be best for us to get used to blending ethernano and the natural source of this world together.”

She forgot about that. The queen looked thought for a moment. “I’d imagine they’ll have places for you all to train. If not while you travel, then in the other countries for certain.”

Nerida nodded, accepting the answer. However, she wasn’t the only one to be a little off-put by the unsure answer. Most of them were combat wizards. Staying in one place for too long would leave them restless and feeling rusty.

Which brought another question.

“Why are you sending wizards instead of nobles?”  _ Straight to the point as always, Erza. _

At this, the queen gained a mischievous glint in her eyes. She smiled knowingly and answered, “They’ll never expect powerful mages.”

_ In other words,  _ the drakaina smirked in agreement,  _ we’re diplomats  _ and  _ a way to flaunt power. _ It seemed the queen was more cunning than she appeared. Nerida knew there was a reason she liked Hisui so much. Kind, intelligent, cunning. She truly was a great leader. 

There were smirks all around as final words were exchanged and they were taken back to their hotels. After a couple more days in Crocus for short lessons in etiquette, the groups were back at the train station saying their goodbyes. It would be several months before they saw each other again.


End file.
